Your Instagram street art captions

So last week I asked Acid Midget followers on Instagram to describe what this wheatpaste was about. I had no idea who made it or what it depicted (I still don't) when I found it. I also asked fans on Facebook and Twitter.

And as promised, I'm republishing your answers right here.

Instagram

tikicave: Two people laying in bed.

east_clintwood: The tip of a quill pen.

interstellar_medium: Happy stingray with pants pockets.

paulphamtastic: It's a Pokemon character!

Facebook

Juilee Pryor: It's a post modern ghost...

Hibbles TheWizard: I figured it looked like that cocoon thing in Pokemon.

Rotar Uno: KKK mask?

Jenny Bunyon: Yeh! Kakuna i think. Metapod. Crossed with a happy Japanese bear or cat.

Twitter

Mim West: Japanese inspired character from space? I am imagining him aqua blue with green eyebrows.

OK so the jury is in. This weird image appears to be the Pokemon Metapod. Do you agree?

Thanks to everyone who contributed. As you know, I love interacting with fans on social networks just as much as writing this blog. To show my appreciation for all your support...here's some more art!

Jumbo and Zap, Camperdown.

Awol Monk, Chippendale.

You might also like:

■ Boots street art (shared on Facebook)

Introducing: Artist Dame Dismember

Sydney artist Dame Dismember might make you a little uncomfortable, like a visit to the dentist can stir up nerves, cold sweats or blog addiction.

I first saw her paste-ups in Newtown a few months ago. They're photocopies of collages showing sliced and fragmented human faces re-imagined with playful enthusiasm for the grotesque.

These collages make me uncomfortable for two reasons. First, they show how fragile we are, how external appearances are so easily changed with a blade. The second is that, for all the disfigurement, these faces look good. Even alive.

I was curious about the artist behind the faces, so I got in contact with Dame Dismember. Below is her response, followed by some of her work. Photo credit for the top image goes to Awol Monk.

Dame Dismember: I've always loved assemblage / collage art. I found drawing & painting kinda boring. My mum told me that when I was a child I'd quickly get bored with colouring in.

I've had an obsession with images as early as I can remember. I can't really pinpoint how my style developed. I never set out to make dark disturbing images. 

They just came out that way. I'm sure you have a similar experience when it came to developing your style too.

I think Frances Bacon is my biggest influence. A collagist influenced by a painter. The intuitive representation of the human form / condition.

You might also like:

■ Street art magazine Get Up or Get Out

Fukt stencil in Sydney

Sydney stencil artist Fukt has been getting a little emo lately. He's known for stencils and paste-ups that contain gnawing social commentary. But lately he's stencilled angsty rants while waiting for Godot.

Worried about you Fukt. I found this piece in Newtown and it reminded me of Mobstr's web-famous Boooring series.

Maybe we should chat. You could tell me all the colours you'd make if giving them away wasn't illegal.

Sydney street art: Newtown

So where has Acid Midget been lately? I have no idea. But you're here, and so am I. A feeling of ambivalence has seeped inside me, like red wine stains teeth. What's the problem? I think you know...that's why you're here.

This is part of a large mural, by Hazzy Bee and Akisiew, on the streets of Newtown. On looking at it, I felt ambivalent again and a little lonely. Then realised I'm a man in a man's world and, with that idea fuelling me, I believed that other men would let me fix it.

In photography school they said "use the rule of thirds and your offspring will flourish" before realising rules made me sad. So, I've nicht idea what this mural is about - but I like it. Fifty Shades of Grey. Do you like random pondering? Do you like a person thinking freely without regard for fur form? Avoid the truth; it's all lies.

I've seen a few of these stencils around Newtown. They're a reminder to watch thy step. The streets are where crime/assaults/love happen, and I have a thing for you. Even though you don't know me, I _____ you.

Surf's up? No. Just a wheatpaste of a bro in short shorts and a sik tit tatt. Chitty chitty bang bang.

I stood on a crash barrier to shoot this. The artist, Syke, glued it to the side of a building. What's depicted on the board? The side of a building.

I promise to never tell you the truth.

You might also like: 

■ Newtown Street Art 1
■ Newtown Street Art 2
■ Newtown Street Art 3

Boots street art, Sydney

Acid Midget reader Ben Isley submitted this photo on Facebook of a Boots sketch he found in the backstreets of Chippendale.

I haven't seen much of Boots's work on the street, but, ironically, I have in the feeds of fellow street art photographers on Instagram.

I've been using Instagram all year to share daily updates with you guys. It's also been a way to network with street artists and photographers. One such instance was a visit to Takie's studio in Sydney earlier this week.

I'll have a post on that in the coming days bb.

Global street art: Shanghai to Sydney

An enormous amount of street art is shared on blogs and social networks every day; a virtual gallery where artworks live beyond the confines of weathered reality. Forever. This has fostered a global community in which artists receive wider recognition for their work - finding audiences they otherwise would not.

But what about sharing art between cities, rather than hard drives? Ben Frost found success with this idea through his Pastemodernism projects, inviting hundreds of artists around the globe to submit posters for exhibition. After corresponding with Shanghai-based artist Clive for close to a year - during which time I interviewed him and blogged his paste-ups - I thought of bringing some of his work in Sydney. So I asked him to send some pieces.

I contacted Sydney artist Fukt and asked if he'd like to join the project. He was interested. Clive hand-painted the posters and sent them to me.

A few weeks later I received a package from "Hugh Jass". WTF, I thought. But sure enough, inside it were Clive's posters, tinged with the smell of paint and cigarette ash. I handed them over to Fukt as he painted the IKEA stencil not long ago. You can see that here.

In the photo above, you'll see one of the posters in Camperdown as of Thursday last week. Fukt thought a good spot to paste was along Parramatta Rd - one of the busiest, most congested roads in Australia.

See below for more. And let me know if you want to see more projects like these.

You might also like:
 
■ Wheatpasting with Clive
■ Clive interview
■ Shanghai subway posters
■ Fukt IKEA stencil
■ Best We Forget stencil

Vexta at Hibernian House

Check out this clip showing Vexta paint at Hibernian House in Sydney. The Australian artist has moved from Melbourne to New York in recent weeks. She is not the first - nor the last - Aussie artist moving to greener pastures in the US and Europe.

In case you missed it, read the Acid Midget interview with Vex here.

Video by Oliver Heath.

Fukt does live IKEA stencil

Sydney stencil artist Fukt got a new piece up in Camperdown on Saturday. I visited Mallett Lane and asked him what the fukt he was doing there. He wouldn't reveal what the stencil was as he painted. I liked that. I found that his artistic intentions were rooted in love for people; his audience.

Take a look below at some of the materials Fukt works with and how the stencil ended up.

 

You might also like:

■ White collar puppets
■ Michelangelo's David
■ McDonald's stencil 
■ Street art of 2011
■ Laneway art
■ Iwo Jima McDonald's stencil

Aboriginal poster art in Sydney

Feeling kinda Sad today. Got this heaviness in my heart because I'm a White guy with a digital camera made by working-class people in Thailand. I use it to prove that being Creative is more than just a hobby, that I have artistic integrity. Middle-class guilt is heavy Dude. I just want to feel happy about living under a Welfare State. I believe the annual tax confessions I pay money for absolve me of Guilt.

Do you reckon the NT Intervention is working? I don't have an answer to this. I have few Answers. I have lots of love though. Sometimes I cry to Myself. I'm a social outcast living Vicariously through illegal art made by other social outcasts/inmates.

For $1 a day you can make a Deference.

You might like:

■ Lana Del Rey: Born to Cancel
■ Happy Australia Day!
■ Jumbo and Zap posters

Fukt stencil: White collar puppets

Fukt is one of Sydney's most prolific stencil artists. In his work he layers satirical subjects like bums and war heroes in rich detail. This "White Collar Puppet" was in Chippendale in Sydney's inner west.

Here, Fukt has stencilled a wind-up worker whose cogs have stopped turning. Does this make you want to leave your corporate job and become a free-thinker?

I want to be someone who makes a difference, who reaches people with art. Someone who isn't afraid to put paints on buildings owned by people who are part of the 1 per cent.

People who believe that democracy is about reaching consensus, rather than "cleansing the earth of unemployed people".

I want to be someone who lives life with expression.

You might like:

■ Sydney street art
■ McDonald's fat stencil
■ Best we forget
■ Iwo Jima McDonald's sign

Street art in Newtown, Sydney

OK so now Sydney Mardi Gras is over we can all get our lives back on track. Did you have a good time? I was chasing dragonflies.

I've previously published street art located along this stone wall facing Camperdown Memorial Rest Park. It's been raining a lot in Sydney and that gave these photos a soft blue hue.

This roller graffiti is (obviously) by Trap. In the background is the spire of St Stephen's Church.

Haven't seen these around, but possible that 'Anza' pasted it up. This was around the corner from the park.

My research shows that one in every one people who visits the park smokes weed there. They usually travel in groups.

This one looks like Scribbla.

You might like:

■ Newtown Street Art
■ Newtown Perspex Etching
■ Slug Graffiti
■ Newtown Street Art and Posters

Slug writes graffiti 'cry for help'

Graffiti artist/reckless vandal Slug wrote a message on this monorail pylon in central Sydney. He's been quiet lately - haven't seen him 'kick 2012's ass' yet.

Is he a little sad? Being the craziest graffiti writer in the city must be heavy.

After making so many elaborate murals maybe Slug's got nothing left to give. Last month he revealed his new foot tattoo to Acid Midget. It seemed like he was re-branding as a 'gay Shepard Fairey' or something:

How you holding up Slug?You in jail/gaol/Bali yet?

You know I stood in the rain for you, right?

All we can do is send hashtag love to this artistic Robin Hood. Tweet #getwellslug to all your peeps. Power to the Tweeple!

You might like:

1. Slug gets a tattoo
2. Street art of 2011
3. Exploding dog graffiti
4. Killer Slug mural
5. Slug graffiti dog (short fiction)

Sydney street art

There is a wall covered in street art and graffiti at 184 Broadway in Sydney. It's right next to the Telstra "International Telecommunications Centre". Read about that here. The wall is directly beneath a CCTV camera.

This Fukt stencil of Michelangelo's 'David' is a little worn/covered in poo. Maybe it's better this way? I struggled with this idea at first, you know, resenting vandalism of street art, but then I realised "we're all bro's here". Every last 1 of us.

This satirical/dead serious stencil of Newt Gingrich by Blue Chip is scary. Getting a dictator vibe from this one. Reminds me of the Hitler depicted in a new Australian retro-comedy Danger 5. Here's a trailer:

 


Like it? Me neither :(

Hitler again. Scared. Hang on ////////////// ////////////// //////////// //////////// /////////////// OK...just spent ~45mins curled in the foetal position in a bathtub. I don't know whose tub it was. Just woke up there :'(

Caged rainbow tiger. Not sure who did this stencil, but looks like Blue Chip. Get in touch if you know bb.

YOU MIGHT LIKE:

Sydney laneway art (Fukt)

Audrey Hepburn stencil (Blue Chip)